Picking random winners from a list
Giveaways, raffles, team assignments, who presents first, which restaurant tonight: whenever you need to pick from a list without bias, a random draw is the fairest method and the easiest to explain.
Paste one name per line, choose how many winners you need, and draw. Each winner is drawn without replacement, so nobody wins twice. Optional weights let some entries count more, for example people with more raffle tickets.
How to use it
- Paste the entries, one per line. Blank lines are ignored.
- Optionally add weights, one number per line in the same order, such as tickets bought.
- Choose how many winners to draw.
- Press Pick winners and read the list in the order they were drawn.
Example: weighted chances
Entries: Ana, Ben, Cy Weights: 3, 1, 1
Ana: 60% chance to be drawn first Ben: 20% Cy: 20%
Ana's weight of 3 out of a total of 5 gives her three times Ben's chance. Once someone is drawn, they leave the pool and the remaining weights decide the next winner.
Running a fair giveaway
Fix the rules before the draw: who can enter, the deadline, how many winners and whether duplicates are removed. Clean the list first, for example with the sort and dedupe tool, so nobody appears twice by accident. Then draw once, live or on a recording, and publish the result. Drawing again until a preferred name comes up defeats the point.
Giveaways on social platforms and in many countries are regulated. Check the platform's promotion rules and local law, which may require published terms and no purchase requirement.
How the weights work
Without weights, everyone has the same chance. With weights, an entry's chance of being drawn next is its weight divided by the total weight of everyone still in the pool. A missing or invalid weight counts as 1. Weighted draws suit raffles with multiple tickets, or giving regular members a slightly better chance than first-time visitors, as long as the rule is announced.
How random is the draw?
The tool uses the browser's Math.random generator, which is unpredictable enough for classroom draws, games and informal giveaways. It is not a certified random source, so use a regulated service for lotteries or high-value prizes.
Questions
Can the same person win twice?
No. Each winner is removed from the pool before the next draw. If someone should have two chances, give them a weight of 2 instead of listing them twice.
How many entries can I paste?
Thousands of lines work without trouble; the draw happens instantly in your browser.
Is my list stored?
No. Names stay in this tab and are never sent to a server.